With Orland Park voters showing no overwhelming support for, or opposition to, video gambling, some village trustees said Wednesday that further discussion of the issue is planned, although the lack of consensus doesn't provide them with a clearly defined direction.

Voters considered two referendum questions Tuesday, both advisory, addressing whether the village should stand pat on its prohibition against video gambling, or allow it on a limited basis.

One question, put on the ballot by village trustees, asked whether the village should allow restaurants and other businesses that have a Class A liquor license and have been in business for at least 18 consecutive months to offer video gambling.

With all 51 precincts reported, 49 percent of voters favored the move while 51 percent were opposed, according to unofficial results.

A second question, which reached the ballot through a citizen petition drive, asked whether video gambling should continue to be prohibited within village limits.

On that question, 53 percent of voters were supporting keeping the ban in place while 47 percent were opposed, according to unofficial results.

"I don't think it would be responsible of us to not continue the discussion" of the issue, Trustee Michael Carroll said.

He said that if "it had been 70, 80 (percent) or above" either way, trustees would have a better idea of where residents stand on the issue.

Trustee Patricia Gira said she agrees further discussion is needed, but that she "had hoped for a clear-cut opinion from the voters."

More than eight years ago, Orland Park officials voted to opt out of video gambling before the games went live around the state in September 2012.

Along with Orland Park, video gambling is barred locally in Frankfort, Palos Heights, Palos Park and South Holland, and the games are not permitted in unincorporated areas of Cook and Will counties.

Village officials said they wanted to take a fresh look at permitting video gambling after some business owners said that not having the machines put them at a competitive disadvantage. Officials also see gambling tax revenue as an additional revenue source.

Gira said she doesn't see the anticipated revenue from video gambling as being "a big reason to approve it." A consultant estimated the village could realize a bit more than $415,000 in revenue allowing the devices.

"The better argument is that our mom and pop shops need to have this," she said.

Trustee James Dodge said the results of the two referendum questions show "there are a lot of people on both sides of the question," but that the Village Board will have to decide the next step it wants to take.

"The board is of a mind that it's (video gambling) an important issue and needs to be addressed soon," he said.

Carroll agreed that the gambling buck ultimately stops at the Village Board.

"It's going to come down to seven people who are elected to represent the community," he said.

The issue was the subject of a series of public forums, with large numbers of people arguing for maintaining the status quo and business owners saying not having gambling is threatening their ability to keep their doors open.

Almost 12,500 ballots were cast on the referendum questions. By comparison, a bit more than 12,900 ballots were cast a year ago in Orland Park's hotly contested mayoral election.

Mayor Keith Pekau said he was not surprised that the vote totals on video gambling were not heavily weighted in one direction or another.

"I thought this was a pretty evenly divided issue," he said.

Dodge and Carroll, who chairs the Village Board's finance committee, pointed to a 2 percent decrease last year in village sales tax revenue as a reason to further review video gambling as a new revenue source.